4. Sorry, I only heard the headline.

5. Same ways they all do.

Convicted felons are responsible for most homicides. They aren't allowed to own guns. Most obtain their guns by theft, borrowing from others, or by private purchase where there is no background check made. Measures can be taken to make it more difficult for felons to obtain guns, but that won't completely eliminate the problem. The only way to 100% prevent a felon from buying a gun is to keep them locked in prison.

13. Title wrong - I believed the media>>>>>>He was barely out of jail

Percentage bet would be theft. Be interesting to know how he got them.

Despite recently being declared the most evil Gungeoneer, I have a list of things that need to be changed in the law too, and that includes mandatory secure storage. All firearms must be secured when not in use, being cleaned, transported, etc. While California got stupid on parts of this, it is clearly the right thing to do. Some will miss their old time glass front display cases or wall rack, but proper security is a must.

15. Agree with you about security.

Certainly that would prevent some thefts. It's no guarantee, though. Apparently Lanza kept her guns in a locked case, yet son was able to somehow access them. We don't know anything yet how this latest shooter got his weapon.
I would also be in favor of banning private sales, requiring all person to person sales be conducted through a dealer acting as broker. Dealer would handle paperwork and hold weapon for waiting period while background check is performed. Again, not 100% effective, but would make a noticable difference.

20. I agree with NICS checks for all transfers

My concern is places like DC that make it impossible for FFLs to do business. If there were plentiful FFLs in all areas to provide competition for the service, I could go with that. I would prefer a pre investigation that is verified at time of purchase. Simpler and cheaper in many ways.

Mixed feelings about waiting periods. New gun owners, sure. If you already have some, not so much. In the end I could see a 1 week universal waiting period.

Its not clear how Mary Lanza secured her weapons, and I am curious about that. A locked case is much easier to get into than a safe. Not sure we will know those kind of details. The crime is solved, the guilty dead. Despite my and many others curiosity, there is no real justification in digging deeper unless the police believe that there were others involved.

22. Inre Lanza's locked case:

That was how it was described by a friend who had seen it in the basement. We don't know how accurate that is, or any more details. It is also unknown how her son got into the locked case. I do hope these details are included in whatever official report is released, as there would be educational value in knowing the vulnerability of a particular storage container.

6. Wasn't the law changed that that you could get a gun 5 years after....

getting out of prison and the old law said never. i thought I read hat somewhere. I guess the reality is whatever the NY state laws say.
I don't assume he had the gun legally. Actually I assume he didn't.

44. Yes

43. Yes...

Introduction

The National Rifle Association (NRA) claims that it supports vigorous enforcement of our nation's gun laws and efforts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Yet the NRA has actually worked to put guns back into criminals' hands. Following is the saga of the federal "relief from disability" program. The NRA has worked to expand and protect this guns-for-felons program that has rearmed thousands of convicted—and often violent—felons.

Creation of the "Relief" Program

Under federal law, those convicted of a felony are forbidden from purchasing or possessing firearms and explosives. Yet as the result of a 1965 amendment to the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, convicted felons were allowed to apply to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for "relief" from the "disability" of not being able to buy and possess guns. The "relief from disability" program was established as a favor to firearms manufacturer Winchester, then a division of Olin Mathieson Corporation.1 In 1962 Olin Mathieson pleaded guilty to felony counts stemming from a kickback scheme involving Vietnamese and Cambodian pharmaceutical importers. Under the law as it existed at the time, Winchester could no longer be licensed as a firearm manufacturer. The "relief from disability" program allowed Winchester to stay in business.

"Relief" Program Becomes Felons' Second-Chance Club

Although created to benefit one corporation, the program quickly became a mechanism by which thousands of individuals with felony convictions had their gun privileges restored. In the 10-year period from1982 until 1992, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms processed more than 22,000 applications. Between 1985 and 1990 ATF granted "relief" in approximately one third of those cases. (ATF estimated that approximately one third of those not granted "relief" chose to drop out of the process, while the remaining one third were denied "relief.")

The crimes committed by those individuals granted "relief" were not limited to non-violent, "white collar" crimes like those committed by Olin. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) the Violence Policy Center obtained 100 randomly selected files of felons granted "relief." Among those 100 cases were: five convictions for felony sexual assault; 11 burglary convictions; 13 convictions for distribution of narcotics; and, four homicide convictions. In fact, of the 100 sample cases, one third involved either violent crimes (16 percent) or drug-related crimes (17 percent).

12. Because it's TOO EASY to get guns. And there are too many guns. nt

14. Criminals do not obey laws.

Even laws barring them from owning firearms and other prohibited items. Laws only govern the law abiding. If there was a total ban, national war against the production/possession/use, and social scorn of firearms then they'd be about as available as methamphetamine and heroin... which is to say, easy to get if you really wanted them.

31. You've obviously never been to Sursum Corda?

But anyone can buy a gun at a gun show.

Numerous people on this thread have pointed out to you that laws at gun shows aren't different from laws anywhere else. Why do you keep bringing gun shows up? Particularly when even the "pro-gun" people agree with you for the most part that all transfers having background checks is a workable idea?

71. Right, thats why it is called

The 'gun show loophole.' The fact that you can buy guns with no background checks and no ID at gun shows has nothing to do with gun shows, right? Thats why the "Gun show loophole act" went through congress in 2009, because the gun show loophole has nothing to do with gun shows. ROFL

72. Yes, it really has nothing to do with gun shows

It's called "the gun show loophole" because that scares suburban soccer moms, and it's unbelievably dishonest, and continuing to use that dishonest phrase is keeping a lot of people who agree with requiring background checks from private sales from helping you.

18. Not sure how we can stop people from obtaining guns.

There is so much money involved someone will always be willing to sell and buy. Maybe what needs to be done is to enact a law with real teeth. Use a gun in ANY capacity to commit a crime, the sentence is mandatory 5 years minimum in the big house. Use a gun to harm someone (short of killing them)mandatory 15 years minimum. Kill a person using a weapon, life. If you are negligent and someone is harmed or killed, somewhere along the lines of 10 years.
This would be the best way(imho), though it would take time, to send the message that using guns to hurt/kill people is something society now takes very seriously.

These years are added to whatever years one gets for the crimes ie: burglary, robbery, etc

24. There are already minimum sentences with teeth...

...that are credited with the reduction of gun deaths over the past 20 years. Still, when these felons are released it is ridiculously easy for them to get a gun, by theft or buying it on the street. And the rehabilitation rate is dismally low. Most of these guys get out of prison and go right back to committing crimes.

27. When are you anti gunners going to stop wetting yourselves over "gun shows"?

You sound like a bunch of children crying about the boogie man. Gun shows are essentially a bunch of gun stores that already have a Federal Firearms License (FFL) displaying and selling their wares. They still comply with all the applicable laws, such as background checks and registration where required by law. It doesn't matter if the gun is used or not.

Some states don't require background checks for private party transfers, some do. Most private party transfers happen between relatives such as inheriting grandpa's old gun, or a spouse giving a gift, or a couple of shooting buddies trading things they already own. Some minority of private party transfers happen between strangers. Every FFL is going to comply with the law. They are not going to risk their business and livelyhood for one sale.

The language of "gun show loophole" is just another example of the flaming ignorance of the anti gunner crowd. If you want to accurately call it the "private sale loophole" then fine. At least then you would have a reality based point whereby dicussion and potential legislation changes could take place. So you could impose some pain-in-the-ass paperwork and fees for little Johnny to inherit a gun, or for Dad to give Suzie her first skeet shotgun. But mostly what will happen is affect people the are law abiding already. You wont stop criminals, nuts, or people bent on evil.

29. I pointed out a simple fact

Used guns are sold at gun shows with no background checks or registration. It's commonly referred to as the "Gun show loophole". Any bank robber can go to a gun show and purchase a used weapon, no questions asked. Stop wetting your selves over simple facts.

Oh, and I'm not an 'Anti-gunner'. I have owned guns my whole life. Thanks for playing!

33. Translation

36. You are wrong.

He was a resident of NY. NY requires background check for any firearms whether at a gun show or anyplace else. There is no gun show loophole. Federal law does not allow out of state resident purchases at a gun show without going through a FFL dealer in your home state. There a background check is made.

I have no idea where he got the weapons. Neither do you until the police tell us. I find the lack of information about this odd since it would take no time to run the rifle serial numbers. Usually after an incident like this they tell us in a day or so.

41. You don't know the laws of NY.

46. Not true according to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

six states (CA, CO, IL, NY, OR, RI) require universal background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows. Three more states (CT, MD, PA) require background checks on all handgun sales made at gun shows. Seven other states (HI, IA, MA, MI, NJ, NC, NE) require purchasers to obtain a permit and undergo a background check before buying a handgun.

48. Only for private sales

the point is that gun laws inside gun shows are not different then outside. And the loophole is not actually a loophole. The federal government does not have jurisdiction on intrastate private sales - it is purely a state matter.

Now I support background checks on on private sales - my state has such a law. But stop yammering about gun shows - it merely shows that you don't fully understand the issue.

58. How?

the Constitution limits what the federal government can do - lets not forget that the states have sovereign powers that the federal government can't interfere with. For bettor or worse, that is how our system of government was designed. Private intrastate sales are a state matter.

73. Only to NJ residents

And, again, what you're talking about has nothing to do with gun shows and it's hard to take you seriously, since either you don't know that and you can't be bothered to learn, or you do know that and you're being dishonest.

79. I have taken guns to gun shows to have dealers appraise them,

while there I have had several people just walk up and offer to buy them. Another thing you do is you put a price tag on the gun say $250 and if someone likes it you sell it, no paperwork, no records, no problems.

59. FEDS trace Spengler's guns..........

Federal investigators have positively traced the guns possessed by William Spengler Jr. in the shooting of four Webster firefighters on Christmas Eve.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman Special Agent Mike Campbell said Wednesday that the agency has traced the Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle, the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and Smith & Wesson .38-caliber handgun found in Spengler’s arsenal after he took his own life.

“I can say that we have traced the firearms and we are working with the State Police to follow up on leads developing from that trace,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the agency is prohibited by statute from releasing specific trace information to the public and declined to say whether the traces offered any indication as to how Spengler obtained the weapons.

78. Piece of cake, look in the classifieds for guns, bulletin boards at stores,

word of mouth, go to a gun show there are plenty of guys walking around with all types of guns for sale. Find the gun you want, give them cash, no paperwork, no record, it's all yours to go out and do some shooting.